Multiple zone building structure

ABSTRACT

A building structure wherein concrete beams perform multiple functions is disclosed. The beams are supported by spaced supported girders, and have at least one generally vertical web and a substantially horizontal upper surface. The upper surfaces of the beams form a substantially horizontal floor, while the lower sides thereof constitute a ceiling with a plurality of dependent ribs extending in general parallelism the length thereof and forming a plurality of adjacent, inverted, generally U-shaped channels. Lighting fixtures, disclosed as fluorescent fixtures in substantially end-to-end position are mounted in alternate ones of the U-shaped channels, while duct-completing panels close the U-shaped channels between those in which lighting fixtures are mounted. Alternate ones of such ducts are made supply ducts, by connection to means for supplying conditioned air thereto, while the remaining ducts are made return air ducts by connection to means for withdrawing air therefrom. The U-shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted are divided by panels to form at least one heated air chamber within each channel. An opening is provided through which air can flow between each heated air chamber and an adjacent return air duct. The structure additionally includes means for withdrawing air from each zone of the building, for effecting heat transfer from each of the lighting fixtures to the withdrawn air, and for introducing the heated, withdrawn air into an adjacent heated air chamber. The structure also includes a plurality of generally U-shaped mixing tubes positioned in spaced relationship in the U-shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted. Each tube has a conditioned air inlet communicating through an opening with an adjacent supply air duct, a room air inlet, a heated air inlet communicating with an adjacent return air duct, an air outlet, dampers for the room air inlet and for the heated air inlet, and at least one nozzle operable when air flows through the conditioned air inlet to tend to induce a flow of air into the tube through both the room air inlet and the heated air inlet. Finally, the structure includes means for controlling the dampers of the mixing tubes to control zone temperature within the building.

United States Patent Meckler Oct. 15, 1974 [5 MULTIPLE ZONE BUILDING STRUCTURE length thereof and forming a plurality of adjacent, in- [75] Inventor: Gershon Meckler, Atlanta verted, generally U-shaped channels. Lighting fixtures,

disclosed as fluorescent fixtures in substantially end- Assigneel ls Incorporated Systems p y to-end position are mounted in alternate ones of the New York, 8 P interest U-shaped channels, while duct-completing panels close the U-shaped channels between those in which [22] Filed' Sem- 1973 lighting fixtures are mounted. Alternate ones of such PP 3961397 ducts are made supply ducts, by connection to means for supplying conditioned air thereto, while the re- 52 U5. c1. 98/40 DL, 52/220, 52/602, mining ducts "F ducts by a 98/31, 98/38 E, 240/9 A, 240/47 to means for w1t hdraw1ng a1r therefrom. The U-shaped 51 Int. c1 F24f 13/06 channels m whlch fixtures are mmmted [58] Field 6: Search 52/220, 602; 98/40 DL, divided Wmels form least 98/38 E 65/53. 240/9 A 47 chamber wlthm each channel. An openlng 15 provided through which air can flow between each heated air ['56] References Cited chambgcrf and an adjzlacgnt return :gir ducadThe structure a 1t1ona y me u es means or wit rawmg a1r UNITED STATES PATENTS from each zone of the building, for effecting heat 3,1 Kennedy transfer from each of the fixtures to the 3,420,439 l/l969 Meckler 165/53 X drawn air, and for introducing the heated withdrawn :53 2 32 air into an adjacent heated air chamber. The structure 3:61 1:908 10/1971 Spoormakeni 98/38 E also f i a plurality of generally i P mixing 3,707,819 1/1973 Calhoun et al. 52 602 x tubes Posmoned in Spaced relatonshlp m the Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner-Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Owen & Owen; John C. Purdue [5 7] ABSTRACT A building structure wherein concrete beams perform multiple functions is disclosed. The beams are supported by spaced supported girders, and have at least one generally vertical web and a substantially horizontal upper surface. The upper surfaces of the beams form a substantially horizontal floor, while the lower sides thereof constitute a ceiling with a plurality of dependent ribs extending in general parallelism the shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted. Each tube has a conditioned air inlet communicating through an opening with an adjacent supply air duct, a room air inlet, a heated air inlet communicating with an adjacent retum'air duct, an air outlet, dampers for the room air inlet and for the heated air inlet, and at least one nozzle operable when air flows through the conditioned air inlet to tend to induce a flow of air into the tube through both the room air inlet and the heated air inlet. Finally, the structure includes means for controlling the dampers of the mixing tubes to control zone temperature within the building.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The load in any given zone of an air conditioned building can vary substantially from time-to-time depending upon such factors as the occupancy of that zone at a given time, load imposed by lights, computers, and other equipment that may be used within the zone, the solar load that may be imposed upon the zone by solar energy transmitted thereinto through window openings and energy that has been stored within the building and subsequently released to one or more of the zones thereof. Accordingly, an effective air conditioning system must include some control means to enable the maintenance of a temperature within a desired range notwithstanding variations in the air conditioning load which occur from time-to-time for the indicated and other reasons. Numerous mixing boxes (See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,390,720; 3,516,606; 3,583,477; 3,604,625; 3,610,522; and 3,611,908) of the induction type have been suggested to provide zone control in air conditioning systems for example, the rate at which primary conditioned air is delivered to the mixing box can be varied, with a compensating variation in the rate at which a flow of air, for example from a plenum, is induced into the mixing box for mixture with the primary air, so that a mixture flows from the box at a substantially constant rate, but the tempera ture varies depending upon the proportions of primary conditioned air and induced air in the mixture. A mixing box has also been suggested where the flow of primary air induces a flow of warm air from a plenum, a flow of neutral air from the space, or a mixture of plenum air and room air, depending upon the positions of thermostatically controlled dampers, as well as that primary conditioned air can be by-passed around the induction portion of a mixing box to provide a maximum flow of primary conditioned air, with no induction for times of peak load on an air conditioning system.

Expedients of the indicated type require large amounts of duct work, as well as frequent mixing boxes, frequently with relatively sophisticated control systems,'to provide zone control over temperature.

The present invention is based upon the discovery of a structure wherein concrete beams are used not only as structural members, constituting the floor support for one level of a building, and the ceiling for the next level below, but are also used as an integral part of the air conditioning system which provides zone control over temperature for the building and as construction templates for the fabrication of the air conditioning system. As is subsequently explained in more detail, because of the particular arrangements and relationships among the components of the structure according to the invention, the size and energy requirements for air conditioning apparatus necessary to provide comfort control are both minimized and effective zone control of temperature is provided. In addition, as indicated above, the concrete beams perform dualservice as part of the structural system and as part of the duct system of the building, as well as performing as construction templates.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an improved building structure wherein concrete beams are used in such a way that they perform a plurality of functions and wherein the components of the structure are arranged in such relationships that both energy requirements and size of air conditioning apparatus required to provide comfort control are minimized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a reflected ceiling plan of one entire bay of a building structure according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially schematic isometric view showing details of the construction of the bay of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the relationships among the various components of the structure constituting the bay of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective showing a generally U-shaped mixing tube which is one of the components of the building structure, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view in vertical section showing a portion of the mixing tube of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, and showing another embodiment of the mixing tube of FIGS. 3-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, a complete bay of a building structure according to the instant invention is indicated generally at 10. The bay 10 is supported on generally U-shaped columns 11, one at each of the four corners of the bay 10. The columns 11, in the structure shown, are also'made of concrete. Girders l2 and 12', supported on the columns 11, extend across each end of the bay 10 and, in turn, constitute the principal support for a plurality of double tee concrete beams indicated generally at 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the concrete beams 13 are double tee beams, which usually range from 4 to 10 feet in width, and can be up to seventy or even more feet in length. The dependent ribs of the beams 13 are designated 14 and 15.

Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the girders 12 and 12' are supported on ledges 16 of the columns 11, and that the primary support for the double tee beams 13 comes from ledges 17 of the girders 12 and 12', although one of the dependent legs 14 and one of the dependent legs 15, as shown in FIG. 2, is actually supported on the column 11, as indicated at 18 and 19.

It will be observed that the dependent legs 14 and 15 of the beams 13 form a plurality of downwardly open, generally U-shaped channels, alternate ones of such channels being designated 20 or 20', while the remaining channels are designated 21. The channels 21 are considerably broader than the channels 20 and 20, the latter being between adjacent legs of different beams 13, and the former being between the legs of a single beam 13. Lighting fixtures 22, having lenses 23 and fluorescent tubes 24 are mounted in the channels 21, while panels 25 constitute closures for the channels 20 and 20', making them supply ducts 20 and return ducts 20' for an air conditioning system associated with the structure. The channels 20, as closed, are supply ducts and the channels 20 are return ducts because, as is subsequently explained in more detail, of their connection to one of the girders l2 and 12'. The collumns 11 are also generally U-shaped in cross section, but are converted to supply risers or return risers by column closure panels 26, suitably attached to close the columns 11, and terminating, as requried, to enable communication between the interiors of the columns 11 and the interiors of the girders 12 and 12, which are enclosed by closure panels 27 to enable service as supply trunk ducts or as return trunk ducts, depending upon their connections.

Referring again to FIG. 1, two of the columns 11 at the right in the drawing are connected to a source (not illustrated) for conditioned air, to enable them to serve as supply risers 28, while the two columns 11 at the left in FIG. 1 are connected to return air fans (not illustrated) to enable them to serve as return risers 29.

Air can flow from the supply risers 28 and through openings in the webs of the associated columns 11 into the interior of the girder 12, so that the interior thereof is a supply trunk duct 30. Similarly, air can flow from the interior of the girder 12 through openings in the column closure panels 26 and in the webs of the associated columns 11, so that the interior of the girder 12 constitutes a return trunk duct 31.

The ducts 20 are connected either through an opening 32 to the supply riser 28 or through openings 33 to the supply trunk duct 30, so that they constitute supply branch ducts for conditioned air. The ducts 20 are connected through openings 34 to the return trunk duct, or through an opening 35 to the return riser, so that they constitute return branch ducts.

Referring to FIG. 3, the flow of primary conditioned air from a supply branch duct 20 is in both directions into U-shaped mixing tubes 36 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) to which there is communication from the duct 20 through openings 37 and 38 in adjacent dependent legs 14 and 15, respectively. Conditioned air from the ducts 20 enters the mixing tubes 36 (see, also, FIGS. 4 and through an opening 39, which provides communication with a nozzle portion 40, which preferably includes a plurality of comparatively small nozzles tending to induce a flow of air into the tubes 36 through a heated air inlet 41 and through a room air inlet 42. Under service conditions, as will subsequently be explained in more detail, the induced flow of air into any one of the tubes 36 may be through the heated air inlet 41, through the room air inlet 42, or through both inlets, depending upon the positioning of dampers 43 and 44. In any event, a mixture of conditioned air from the duct 20 and of induced air flows through the tube 36, and is discharged therefrom through an outlet 45 to a zone of the building. The mixing tubes 36 are positioned in the channels 21, and extend above the light fixtures 22 therein. There are also acoustic shells 46 within the channels 21, positioned generally below the tubes 36, and dividing the channels 21 to form heated air chambers 47. Each of the heated air chambers 47 is in communication with a return branch duct 20 through an opening 48 in one of the dependent legs and 14.

Referring in particular to FIG. 3, there are openings in the lenses 23 of the light fixtures 22 and in tops 49 thereof; in addition, there is a break 50 in each of the acoustic shells 46, which break lies generally above the associated light fixture 22, so that air from a zone of the building is free to flow through the lenses 23, through the openings in the top 49 of the fixtures 22, and through the openings 50 into the heated air chambers 47. It is such flow of air from a zone of a building, and the heating thereof by the fixtures 22, that furnishes heat for the chambers 47.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, when the damper 44 is in a closed position, there is a flow of air from a building zone therebelow into each of the channels 21, through each of the light fixtures 22 and each of the openings 50 into each of the heated air chambers 47, and, from thence, through the openings 48 into one of the return branch ducts 20, from which the heated air is carried to an equipment room (not illustrated), from which all or a portion thereof can be exhausted as relief air. In this condition of operation there is heat transfer from the heated air in each of the ducts 20' to the adjacent dependent legs 14 and 15. Because of the massiveness of the legs 14 and 15, they are capable of absorbing substantial quantities of heat in going from an early morning temperature of, say, F. to a late afternoon temperature approaching 85F. This absorbed heat is stored within the building, and will cause some increase in air conditioning load toward the end of any given day of operation. However, the net effect of transferring lighting heat to exhaust air, as described, is a reduction in the size of air conditioning equipment required, and a reduction in energy requirements. The heat stored in the building is available for reheating in zones where this is required, as subsequently discussed in more detail.

In a large multi-zone building, reheat is frequently desired in certain zones at a time when the major function of the air conditioning system is to remove heat from the building. For example, the minimum flow of conditioned air required for ventilation purposes, at the available temperature, will often make zones of the building unpleasantly cool. The mixing tubes 36 can be used in the structure according to the invention to counteract such a condition in any zone where it occurs, by suitable operation of the dampers 43 and 44 (FIG. 5). For example, when the minimum flow of conditioned air through the nozzles 40, with the damper 44 closed, causes an undesirably low temperature in a given zone, the appropriate damper or dampers 44 can be opened slightly, and the associated damper or dampers 43 correspondingly closed, so that the flow of pri mary conditioned air through the nozzles 40 induces a flow of air partially from the heated chamber or chambers 47 through the opening or openings 41, and partially from the room through the room inlets 42, the limiting condition, under conditions of minimum air conditioning load, being a full open position for the damper or dampers 44, and a full closed position for the damper or dampers 43. When a damper 44 is in a full open position, a substantial flow of heated air occurs from the chamber 47 involved, through the opening 41 and into the mixing tube 36. It will be appreciated that this flow of air is mainly from the zone requiring reheat, into the associated chamber 47 and then back into the same zone. It frequently occurs that reheat is required in a zone in which the lights are not at that time energized, so that circulation of air as just described would be ineffective to provide reheat. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus preferably includes thermally actuated dampers 51 for the openings 50. The dampers 51 can be moved between the open position shown and a closed position by an actuator of the bi-metallic type. The actuator can advantageously be set to open the dampers 51 when a temperature of F. or higher is sensed, and to move the dampers to a closed position when the sensed temperature is less than about 80F. When the dampers 5] are closed and the dampers 44 are opened, the flow of primary conditioned air through the nozzles 40 induces a flow of air from the adjacent return duct through the opening 48 and the chamber 47, and into the tube 36.

Referring to FIG. 6, a mixing tube 52 is shown as a component of the structure according to the instant invention. The mixing tube 52 receives conditioned air from the ducts 20, which enters through an opening 53, and flows through a nozzle portion 54. The flow of conditioned air through the nozzle portion 54 tends to induce a fiow of air into the tube 52 through a heated air inlet 55 and through a room air inlet 56. The flow of induced air through the inlets 55 and 56 is controlled by dampers 57 and 58. A mixture of conditioned air from the duct 20 and of induced air from the heated air inlet 55 or from the room air inlet 56 flows through the tube 52, and is discharged therefrom through an outlet 59 to a zone of the building. The heated air inlet 55 of the mixing tube 52 is enclosed, and is in communication through a passage 60 and an opening 61 with the opening 48, and through the opening 48 with the return duct 20'. Accordingly, heated air for the tube 52 always comes directly from one of the return ducts 20', so that it is immaterial whether or not the lights associated with a building zone which requires reheat are energized.

Referring, again, to FIG. 3, the duct 20 is in communication through the opening 38 with one of the mixing tubes 36, but is not in such communication through the opening 37 shown; instead, a plug 62 prevents flow from the duct 20 through the opening 37. This is because, as shown in FIG. 1, mixing tubes 36 are provided only in every other module. On the other hand, all of the chambers 47 are in communication with an adjacent return duct 20' through an opening 48 because it is desirable to remove lighting heat from each module through the return air system, whether or not conditioned air is introduced into that module.

lt will be appreciated that the beams, girders and columns in a building structure according to the invention serve as construction templates, in addition to performing their usual structural functions and constituting parts of an air conditioning system. For example, an

7 opening 37 or 38 (see FIG. 3) not only provides communication between a duct 20 and each of the mixing tubes 36, but also indicates the position in the system of each of the mixing tubes 36. It is usually desirable to employ a sealing member between each of the mixing tubes 36 and the associated opening 37 or 38 to minimize or even prevent the leakage of primary conditioned air therebetween. Such sealing members (not illustrated) can be in the nature of grommets received in the conditioned air inlet openings 39 of the mixing tubes 36, and extending forwardly therefrom for releasable interior engagement within one of the openings 37 or 38.

Referring to FIG. 2, after the mixing tubes 36 have been positioned in a building structure according to the invention, the acoustic shells 46, and spacers 63 and module dividers 64 are installed next, followed by the lighting fixtures 22. It will be noted that the module spacers 64 extend upwardly to the webs of the double tee beams 13, thereby separating heated chambers 4'7 from one another. All of these installations can be made without the necessity for on site measurements because the beams themselves perform as construction templates for the mixing tubes 36 while the spacer 63 and girders 12 serve as templates for the first ones of the acoustic shells 46. Similarly, the module spacers 64 and the first ones of the acoustic shells 46 serve as templates for the second ones of the acoustic shells 46, etc. Similarly, there is no need for measurement to locate the panels 25, since they merely extend continuously from the girder 12 to the girder 12' or from one of the columns 11 to the opposed column 11, as the case may be. Any on site fabrication is for the sole purpose of making the panels 25 fill the assigned space, the assignment being made by the beams, girders and columns, as construction templates.

What I claim is:

l. A multiple zone building structure comprising a plurality of concrete beams supported by spaced supported girders, each of said beams having at least one generally vertical web and a substantially horizontal upper surface, whereby the upper surfaces of said beams form a substantially horizontal floor and the lower sides of said beams constitute a ceiling with a plurality of dependent ribs extending in general parallelism the length thereof and forming a plurality of adjacent, inverted generally U-shaped channels, a plurality of lighting fixtures mounted in spaced relationship in alternate ones of the Ushaped channels, ductcompleting panels closing the U-shaped channels between those in which lighting fixtures are mounted, means for supplying conditioned air to alternate ones of such ducts, means for withdrawing air from the remaining ones of such ducts, means dividing each of the U-shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted to form at least one heated air chamber therein, there being an opening through which air can flow between each heated air chamber and an adjacent one of such ducts with associated means for withdrawing air, means for withdrawing air from each building zone, for effecting heat transfer from each of said lighting fixtures to the withdrawn air, and for introducing the heated, withdrawn air into an adjacent heated air chamber, a plurality of generally U-shaped mixing tubes, positioned in spaced relationship in the U- shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted, each tube having a conditioned air inlet communicating through an opening with an adjacent one of such ducts to which conditioned air is supplied, a room air inlet, a heated air inlet communicating with a heated air chamber, an air outlet, dampers for the room air inlet and for the heated air inlet, and at least one nozzle operable when air flows through the conditioned air inlet to tend to induce a flow of air into said tube through both the room air inlet and the heated air inlet, and means for controlling said dampers of said mixing tubes to control zone temperature. l 

1. A multiple zone building structure comprising a plurality of concrete beams supported by spaced supported girders, each of said beams having at least one generally vertical web and a substantially horizontal upper surface, whereby the upper surfaces of said beams form a substantially horizontal floor and the lower sides of said beams constitute a ceiling with a plurality of dependent ribs extending in general parallelism the length thereof and forming a plurality of adjacent, inverted generally U-shaped channels, a plurality of lighting fixtures mounted in spaced relationship in alternate ones of the U-shaped channels, duct-completing panels closing the U-shaped channels between those in which lighting fixtures are mounted, means for supplying conditioned air to alternate ones of such ducts, means for withdrawing air from the remaining ones of such ducts, means dividing each of the U-shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted to form at least one heated air chamber therein, there being an opening through which air can flow between each heated air chamber and an adjacent one of such ducts with associated means for withdrawing air, means for withdrawing air from each building zone, for effecting heat transfer from each of said lighting fixtures to the withdrawn air, and for introducing the heated, withdrawn air into an adjacent heated air chamber, a plurality of generally U-shaped mixing tubes, positioned in spaced relationship in the U-shaped channels in which lighting fixtures are mounted, each tube having a conditioned air inlet communicating through an opening with an adjacent one of such ducts to which conditioned air is supplied, a room air inlet, a heated air inlet communicating with a heated air chamber, an air outlet, dampers for the room air inlet and for the heated air inlet, and at least one nozzle operable when air flows through the conditioned air inlet to tend to induce a flow of air into said tube through both the room air inlet and the heated air inlet, and means for controlling said dampers of said mixing tubes to control zone temperature. 